Tainted Affection
by ThornedEnigma
Summary: A new student is accepted into Hogwarts in the middle of the year, something that would usually not be allowed. When this dark, strange, boy is assigned Hermione as his school guide will her innitial dislike and annoyance be replaced by something more? Ca


Disclaimer: I certainly don't pretend to own Harry Potter, any names or characters affiliated, connected or other copyrighted material. If I was J.K., I would be taking a bath in expensive chocolate right now, not writing fan fiction, anyways.

I hope you enjoy my story, it's my first attempt at a story in about 2 years, so bear with me, I'll get better over time, promise. My system is simple, people rate, I write more, people ignore, I stop and try a new genre.

Title: Tainted Affection

Twas a normal day in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The ceiling, enchanted to be reflective of the sky above, showed the beautifully colored heavens of the early morning. Shades of mahogany and violet were outlined in a fiery crimson illuminated by the dulled rays of gentle sunlight that shown from the half risen ruby orb not quite visible from the Hall. The hues were blended like a watercolor painting from a skilled artist, a truly remarkable sight, though within Hogwarts, a school for the remarkable, little of this natural beauty was recognized (If any, by divination students, always staring heavenward.) as hungry students filled their night famished, vivacious faces.

This was not the usual morning crowd of groggy students, no, for the sight would have been that of disheveled robes and poking halfheartedly at food, students too weak to lift there forks and always someone who would slumber in their Pumpkin Juice. No, for these students out now were the early risers, the early birds and morning people with the most energy in morning's first hours. Oddly enough, though most tables had nearly 30 or 40 students already, the Gryffindor table had merely 10, 2 amongst them standing out quite dramatically.

"Bloody 'ell Harry! Right idea this was waking up at 5:30 in the morning!" Wailed Ron to his sleepy companion, Harry, who looked back semi-apologetically, eyes darkened only slightly from lack of sleep. He hadn't had a haircut in quite some time, and his dark chestnut strands now obstructed his view slightly, giving him a more rugged moppy look than his usually clean simple quirky one. Ron, now a 7th year student, placed one of his long, lanky freckled arms upon the table at the elbow, resting his tired chin upon his hand, straight orange hued hair seeming limp as his body with the lack of sleep.

"Come on now Ron, I just can't wait to see the look on Hermione's face when she sees we're here before she is." Harry said, his voice was tired, though much less whiney and upset than Ron's vocals, Harry seemed more optimistic than anything. Rubbing his fist at his eye to wipe the sleep away, one of his startling emerald optics came to rest upon Hermione, who now strode through the opening of the Great Hall.

Harry wipped his eyes once more to make sure they were not fooling him. Ron still had his face fitly buried within his hand, moaning and grumbling about how he was going to fail his tests today. As Hermione approached, normal Hogwarts uniform flowing behind her, her eyes were slightly wide with amusement at Harry's gaping, and at the fact that he had arrived for breakfast before she. "Well well, look who's the morning dove today?" she said, in that slightly critical tone she always held, and air of confidence to it that might just have been cockiness.

His evergreen oracles not leaving Hermione, Harry tapped Ron's shoulder. With a grumble and a grumpy frown he looked up, hand dropping and eyes becoming slightly wide as he saw Hermione, not yet sitting at the table, smiling down at them, books folded across her chest, a girl standing behind her with an equally confident smile, who she was was not know to the pair of boys, though Harry didn't even know this other figure was there.

"H-Hermione!" Ron began, dopey English accentuated tones stuttering slightly. "You look I _different /I _" he commented, dumbly. Though it was true, Hermione did look different. Usually troublesome curly, slightly frizzy brown locks where carefully straightened to be now only gently curled, almost radiant light mahogany tresses. They seemed voluminous almost, and though Harry had always though Hermione was perfect, he couldn't doubt the fact that she did look marvelous like this, much different. She seemed less like the brainy, studious Hermione, and more like the Hermione that looked at Harry with admiring, almost sad brown eyes when she thought he wasn't looking. Yet he always saw, and when he had broken 4 ribs, one of which had lodged itself between his lungs last qudditch season, he had heard her too.

" I Please Harry, Just wake up! I don't know what I'd do without you, what this school, this world would do! It's cowardly to say this when your sleeping, I know…." Her head had tilted down, she paused. "But I've liked you for so long Harry, if I never had a chance to say it, I could never forgive myself. /I "

He had awoken only moments after, though that Hermione above him couldn't possibly be the girl who had cried so unabashedly that day. She was radiant, though a smile was on her face, her eyes looked suddenly relieved as the girl who had walked in with her paced away. Looking behind herself, she sighed, releasing a long held breath. "Finally! What a nuisance!" she exclaimed, placing her books down beside Harry, a little noisily, smoothing her skirt down slightly and sitting in that perfectly straight way that she always did.

Harry was smiling, eyes wide as he continued to look at his friend. "You do look different Hermione, you look great." Harry said, his smile falling to a normality as he listened to her angry tones explain the positive difference in her appearance.

"Here I am, studying as I always do each morning." How she found time, neither boy could comprehend. Did she not sleep? "When Gabby Huxelbee, comes down from her sleeping quarters with this positively _weird _contraption in hand." her aggravation was obvious as she began to reorganize her quills and ink on the table, as she always did when irritated. Organization somehow made things better. "She nearly talks my ear I _off /I _ until finally my concentration is totally broken! Now I'll never know the end of I _200 Uses For a Muggles Hair. /I _" she scoffed.

"Oh what a I _tragedy /I H_ermione! Now you'll I _never /I …._" Ron barely had time to finish his witty, slightly cruel remark.

"I I _know /I _" Hermione interrupted, having organized her books and work once more, she began to file everything away, movements positively angry. "Then she put her hands all I _over /I _ my hair and did this, wasting my time I _and /I _ hers!" It seemed as if she was going to continue her rampage, when, speak of the devil, Gabby Huxelbee appeared over her shoulder. "Did you all hear!" she said, in that nasally tone. She was a mousy 2nd year Gryffindor with scraggly light brown hair, a round nose and many freckles. She was one of the only wizards I _ever /I _ to choose to wear muggle braces rather than have her teeth fixed with a spell. Something about spells being a conspiracy and a love for muggle things landed her with a set of metal retainers. "There is a new 7th year student for Beauxbatons, first late term transfer allowed in _20 I years /I _!" She stated, scurrying away to inform someone else.

"It's not true." stated Hermione.

"Your about to say one of those things that makes me feel dumb, aren't you Hermione?" Ron commented.

"_No_, It's been 21 years since they have allowed a mid-term transfer. Usually you have to start at the beginning of a year. Hogwarts History Volume Eight, paragraph 7." She stated, mater-o-factly, hair moving unnaturally behind her as she spoke.

"Bloo…" Began Ron, though he was silenced, as was the rest of the cafeteria as an unfamiliar figure walked through the doors.

-

Daesare Abesynth: What? Your ending it there!

Angelique: I want to get the first chapter up today.

Daesare: But that's not even a chapter.

Angelique: Prologue, sorry.

Daesare: That's really dumb.

Angelique: If I get 1 review and one person wants to read the next chapter, I'll write more.

Daesare: Jeebsus REVIEW PEOPLE! Angelique's multiple personalities want her to write more.


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